A Bureau of Human
Resources for Portland
MUST WORK TOGETHERFUR FULL
ANU EQUAL EMPLOYMENT.
P o rtla n d
O b serv er
T h u rsd a y
A p ril 2 ) ,
Par»
III
1972
The N o rth w M t'» Best W e e k ly
A Black O w n e d Publication
Published every Lhutsdax by iM e Publishing Uc.upany, 2201
N. K illingswoi th, Portland, Oregon 97217
Subscription $5.25 per year in Tri-County area by m ail, yxit-
side the Tri-County area - $6.00 per year by m ail.
Phone 283-2486.
M ailing address - P. 0 . Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208.
ALFRED LEE HENDERSoN, P ublisher/E ditor
Verna L , Henderson
Asst. Publlsher/business managei
Helen Hendrix
Personnel and Production Manager
IN PA
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or rep
utation of person, firm or corporation, which may aspear m the
Portland observer w ill be cheerfully corrected upon being
brought to the attention of the E ditor.
The
I»
A change of image is needed not only on the National
scene, but also in City and County Government. A man
does not change and become better simply because he is
elevated to a higher position.
’s
WASHINGTON
BRIEFS
Desk
Commitment lacking
Freedom of the press? to Black students
There is no freedom of thepress in the United States. There
is no freedom of the p ess in Portland. There is not even the
freedom fo r the black press to exist in Portland.
The black press, like other black businesses, is dependent on
the white businessman fo r its existence. Without the income
from advertising, a newspaper cannot meet its expenses, pay its
staff, its printing costs, its rent and u tilitie s , its m ailing and
dehvei-y costs. And in a city I ike Portland, with Unie b ack bus
iness, the advertising must come from white owned and operated
business and industry.
Aside from the businessmen who m ight be offended by news
or e d itorial positions taken by the paper and therefore withhold
their advertising, there are those who sayyjhey caQ obtain black
trade without the black preps, that blacxgsjrjsrdo
with
them; those who say they dp not care if they have black trade;
and thosewhodonotwantblacktraàe. These are the businesses
whict^ although they a.e quick to accept your d ollar, are not
w illin g to return it to the black community.
We believe there is a need for a black newspaper in Portland.
One of die greatest needs of the black community is a vehicle
fo r communication. We need a black perspective of the local
news, and we need to receive news of black happenings around
the country chat are not reported, or are not objectively
reported, in the white press.
But white Portland needs the black press also. If blacks con
tinue to be isolated, if their views are hidden from the rest of
society, if they are denied a method of communication with white
Am erica, America w ill cease toexist. In Portland there is s till
the opportunity fo r communication among blacks and whites. A
black newspaper is one way of encouraging and facilitating this
communication.
Yet a black newspaper w ill not be allowed to survive in P ort
land until the white business establishment decides to et it sur
vive. It is fo r this reason that we say there is no freedom of
the press in Portland.
REGISTER
by April 22nd
so YOU can Vote!
The recent incidents at Jackson High School demonstrate once
again the lack of commitment to its black students on the part of
the school d is tric t.
The black students at Jackson, numbering about 40 out ot
1,000 students, feel that they are the victuns of differential
treatment - that they are assumed wrong, that their witnesses
are not heard, that the word of white students o r teachers is tak
en over theirs, that th e ir punishment is harsher, and that they
do not receive proper counseling.
This is not surprising since the (acuity has had little training
in human relations and Black culture m the past, and none this
year. There has been no contact between the faculty and the
black community, no opportunity fo r the faculty to learn about
the background and culture of its students. There have been no
organized group discussions fo r the black students to a ir th e ir
grievances o r fo r white students and faculty todiscuss with the
black students their feelings and expectations. It is not su rp ris
ing that hostile teelings on the part ot teachers, either
suppressed o r unknown, have surfaced as the result of interra
cial fighting in the school and the accusations and counteraccu-
sations that follow. Such a m in o r incident as a fight between a
black g irl and a white g irl has led to tension and hostility among
the teachers as well as the student body.
Located in a middle-class white neighborhood, there has teen
no e ffo rt to involve the Jackson community with the black stu
dents o r th e ir fa m ilie s. Although there isconcem fo r the black
students among some members of the administration, the
school's relationship with its own community is paramount.
But the plight of the black students at Jackson cannot
be blamed entirely on a contused and perhaps misguided admi
mstratlon or on a tew white teachers. The true responsibility
lies with the school d is tric t. M r. Roy Carlson, principal of
Jackson, said he has attempted to increase the percentage of
black students at Jackson by recruiting in the elementary
schools, but has not received supportfrom eitherthe elementary
schools or the adm inistration.
Jackson High school is one ol the best high schools in
the PorVand d is tric t. Black students attend Jackson because
its academic system and philosophy prov ides the kind of educa
tion they desire. But as long as the school d is tric t continues
only token busing, 544 students in a ll, black students wil find
themselves small m inorities in large student bodies-desegre
gated, but isolated. As long as teachers and counselors, and the
d is tric t itse lf, do not encourage black students to avail them
selves of the best schools, this situation w ill continue. It w ill
be unfortunate if our students cannot attend the best schools be
cause of lack on concern and understanding on the part of the
white school establishment.
During the period that our students must travel to the suburbs
to receive the best possible education, we must let them know
that the black adults a re aware ol tbeirproblem s and appreciate
th e ir e ffo rts. They need to know that the black communi
ty stands behind them and is ready to support them.
Representative W i l l i a m
McCulloch (R-4 ihio), the rank
ing Republican member on the
House JudiciaryCom m ittee as
co-sponsor ol Nixon's anti
busing moratorium legisla
tion, has changed his mind. He
denounced Nixon's proposal as
unconstitutional. McCulloch,
long known as a c iv il rights ad
vocate, declared, ‘ It is with
the deepest regret that I sit
here today to listen to a
spokesman fo r a Republican
administration
asking the
Congress to prostitute the
courts by obligating them to
suspend the equal protection
clause (of the constitution) so
that Congress may debate the
m e r i t s of fu rth e r slowing
down and perhaps even rolling
back of desegregation in public
schools."
U,S. D is tric t Judge Stephen
J. Roth has ruled that the c ity's
predominantly white suburbs
must be included in any plan to
achieve racial balance in De
tro it schools.
Such a metropolitan school
integration plan would involve
massive c ro s s -d is tric t busing
and could be ordered Im
plemented fo r the 1972-73
school year.
The ruling was made des
pite Nixon administration ef
forts to halt the proceedings.
I he 2nd | .5, C irc u it Court
of Appeals, in a decision which
may ultim ately clear the rec
ords of thousands of dishonor -
ably discharged servicemen,
has ruled that a Supreme Court
decision lim itin g co u rt-m a r
tials to m ilita ry offenses
should 1« applied retroactive
ly-
Letters to the Editor
Letter from a citizen
M ark Hatfield
The Senate
Washington D.C.
tí
I
3
i-
L l
1
Honorable Mark Hatfield:
I'm not g o o d at making
speeches, but I just read this
a rticle (E d ito ria l: "Separate
h it not equal", Portland Ob
server, March 23, 1972), and
it expresses exactly what I ’ m
feeling, so I thought if you read
this you would understand, and
perhaps, be able to do some
thing about it.
We have always had "se p a r
ate but equal" schools. Why
can’ t you give the children a
chance to learn andstopplay-
uig games?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
M rs . E arl Winchester
2303 N.E. 37th
Portland, Oregon
M rs. E a rl Winchester
2303 NJb. 37th
Portland, Oregon
Dear M rs . Winchester:
Thank you fo r your recent
le tte r, accompanied byanedi-
to ria l on the school busing
question. Enclosed lo r your
information is a statement of
my position on this issue.
I do not agree that this Sen
ate-passed
amendment is
"playing games." We in th e
Senate were faced with much
more serious amendments; a
filib u s te r was in progress; it
appeared thatunless the lib e r
al Senators (Republican and
Democrat) could come up with
an amendment of th e ir own ot
moderate tone, the anti-court,
a n ti-b u s in g
amendments
would pass.
This is the re a lity of the
situation. It is one which con
stantly confronts the Senate,
and a person is thus faced with
the situation of voting fo r the
lesser of two evils o r seeing
vita lly needed legislation de
feated. 1 do not favor anti-
c o u r t , anti-busing amend
ments. 1 am against the at
tempt to amend our C onstl-
t u t io n
with mischievous
amendments which w ill set
back the cause ot integration
in schools. The goal of equal,
quality education fo r all child
ren is one we should pursue.
Len w ood
In this w rite r's opinion the
basic concept of a Bureau of
Human Resources fo r the City
of Portland Is avalulone. And
it w ill inevitably 1« estab
lished any way, whether the c i
tizens want ito i not. However,
the present proposal that was
aibniitted by Commissioner
Goldschmidt does not need
m ajor surgery, revision or to
he amended; it needs to be dis
carded and a new proposal be
re-submitted. I tel ore another
proposal fo r a Human Re
sources is submitted there
should be more citizen p a rti
cipation. 1 here should be def
inite efforts made to assure
the public that it is in P ort
land's best interest to get In
tune wlthwhat is occurring na
tionally and that the Federal
Government is moving toward
Revenue Sharing.
The whole concept of Reve
nue Sharing was poorly ex
plained in the original propo
sal. And this w rite r fo r one
ijuestions whether or not that
was done purposefully. Atany
rate it should have been em
phatically explained. Whether
o r not as BUIdeWeese, candi
date lo r mayor, stated recent
ly that Goldschmidt’ s pro
posed Bureau ol Human Re
sources was nothing m o r e
than a "naked pow ergrab," so
liastlly conceived ami shallow
ly pursued p rio r to announce
ment, that It could well heroine
a political and social (tower
base, manipulating great sums
of money and massive num
bers of people, is a matter ol
conjecture at tills point. And
I do not propose to go into that
issue at this juncture.
A s I see it tfie fundamental
issues are not (lie disadvan
taged against (he advantaged;
the haves against the have
nots; tlie rich against the poor!
black against white; oi (tie
governmen( against tie |>eo-
ple. T tie Issues are whether
o r not the people should have
some Input in the decision
making ami have some say-so
over programs t h a t alfect
th e ir lives, ami whetherornot
the C ity of Portland w ill take
advantage of the Federal Rev
enue Sharing plan. I hese are
the basic issues that must be
decided, not the aforemen
tioned superficial ones.
It must also he noted that
each Agency has the right to
accept or reject tie proposal.
F urtherm ore each ol the D i
rectors ot the two m ajor pro
grams involved declarer) that
they w ill support the decision
(A th e ir Hoard of D irectors
whether they agree with it or
Farm workers ask help
Dear Brothers and Sisters, of the NLRB, has gone Into
and I think of busing as one tool
F o r years farm workers federal court to get an injunc
which can ne used to achieve an
have been kept outside the pro- tion against the farm w orkers'
integrated, quality education. , tection of the law. Whenweor-
boycott. This is grossly un
I regret the fu ro r and emotion
ganized and sought negotia fa ir;
alism surrounding this issue.
tions with our employers the) E F o r th irty-se ve n years
A fte r a ll, over 55% of Oregon's
coldly Ignored us. When we growers have tried to keep
children are bused each day to
went on strike we were har farm workers from organizing
th e ir schools. There is noth
assed, beaten and jailed; am! by excluding them from tlie
ing inherently wrong with bus
workers, even poorer th a n NLRA; now that farm w orkers
ing, tu t it is not the panacea
ourselves, were brought in to are building a union, the Re
to r achieving racial integra
take our jobs. In the Delano publicans want to make use of
tion of the schools. We need to
Grajie Strike we learned a way the punitive provisions of the
do m u chm ore.T herew iil have
to struggle ami win. We went NLRA to destroy our union.
to be a good-will e ffo rt on the
on strike ami then to support 2.
M l previous NLRB deci
part of Oregonians (particu
the strike hundreds of f a r m
sions have made it cle a r that
la rly in Portland) to support
workers am) their fam ilies farm workers cannot 1« re
integration plans which can be
traveled to strange cities to stricted by a law (the NLRA)
supported with federal money.
tell th e ir cause to the A m eri that does not cover oi protect
D r. RobertBlanchanf has such
can people. It wasnoteasy but them.
a plan. I wish the Portland
thousands of fr lends helped us. 3.
Federal funds are being
community would get behind
Through hard work and many used to attack farm workers
him fo r federal money which
sacrifices farm workers made when the NLRB has no authori
w ill become available under
the Crepe Boycott into a most ty under the law to use the
the $1-1/2 b illio n Emergency
beautiful and powerful n o n money in this way.
School Act.
violent force for Justice.
The Republicans have de-
Sincerely,
Now, after we have found a ckJeri tli.it jjjg punitive p ro vi
M a rk O. H atfield
way to struggle non-vlolently sions of tlie NLRB (e g., the
United States Senator
ami to make progress fo r our ban on secondary boycotts)
selves ami our children, the should apply to the fa rm work
Republican Party is attempt e rs ' union even though the pro
ing to take away the boycott. tections ot tlie NLRA do not ap
Peter Nash,PresidentNixon's ply to farm workers. I hispo
appointee as General Counsel sltion is so unfair that It
Is hard to imagine how rea9on-
G .D a v it
By I enwood C. Davis
not. I'he Hoard of D irectors
MUS T get the Input of the peo
ple (hat they represent before
maktng any final decisions.
PMSC recently prepaied a
document that refuted some of
the allegations ami alleged
statements of facts stated in
th e originul proposal fo r the
Bureau. It would be wise if
Goldschmidt included some ot
(hose recommendations in Ills
new oroiiosal.
I have observed Nell Gold
schmidt over tlie past several
months amt have concluded
that he Is an extremely intel
ligent young man. Hence, how
could such an Intelligent poli
tician make a m ajor blunder?
WHAI IS THE HIDDEN MO
TIVE? WIIA 1 IS THE HIDDEN
ACENDA?
Oregon m otorists are le -
mlmled that by state law
<tudded lire s are not |<er-
mtted on (he state's highway
system after A p ril 30.
I , miei changes In the law en
acted dut mg the last régulai
session of th e legislature,
studded tire s are |>etiiiitted ui
Oregon during the (>ei h>l Nov
ein 1er I ol any year to Api ll 30
ol tie following year.
Credibility Gap
Ron Hendran
IN WASHINGTON
our counti y great, could not be
" B o i rowers are nearly al
restuied with increased goods
ways ill sfe m le rs," observed
ami services. But he die,I in
John Ruskin before the turn of
1910 when the flowei of indus
this century, "am i K is with
tria l l/atlon was only a bud. I
lent muney that all e vil is
wumler wlietbe: hewould have
mainly done ami alt unjust war
relieved
(hat within sixty
protracted,"
yeai
s
m
illions
ol his fellow c i
In tie a n rent fiscal year
tizens ami (heir government
tie United states govei iiment
would lite ra lly have hocked
w ill spend some $23 b illion
their futures for a coloi tele
above what it w ill take in. Ami
vision set . . , o r a war in In
in the same poi lod in illio n s o l
dochina.
Amei icans w ill themselvesgu
Moreover, by tlie tune they
deejei into debt, spending
are paid fo i, most of oui ap
highly inflated dollars for
pliances,
automobiles ami
goods often ot equally inflated
gold-plated
bathroom fix
value.
tures - If they are working at
Pei tups no phenomenon has
all - w ill have lost then lim
changed Americans’ lives so
ited chaim . Ami at 18 per
d ia stica lly ami in so short a
cent or more interest with
tune as the advent of easy
three years to pay, it is little
c ie d lf. As late as 1956 M e r-
wonder.
rlam-Webstei defined c ie d lt
Perhaps one day we w ill all
as "Reliance on the truth. . .;
fold, spindle ami mutilate our
belief; fa ith ." By 1963 the p ri
com (alter i zed payment books,
mary meaning hail changed to
t e a r up our cre d it cards ami
read "tim e given for payment
stop indulging in d e ficit s|>em1-
fo r goois oi services. . .'
ing. if so, we might convince
(in ly seven yeai s lapsed be
our government to do th e
tween the publication ol these
same, ft's funny how p o liti
two books. I lie sti iking d if
cians are imitating their con
ference he tween tlie del in i
stituents (hese days.
(Ions is some indication of the
That new car smell which
speed with which I iving on bor
anesthetizes mom entarily the
rowed money became accept
frustrations ami anxieties of
able, even praiseworthy, ui
life soon wears off. I be I lu s
our counti y.
trations return, often before
ioday v irtu a lly anything
the im itation leathei smell lias
from a tr l|i to Spain to a trash
dlsappeaied amt invariably
masher can he flnamed. Ami
before the last ol tlie i6 sheets
dthough one well-known ad
has le e n to in o u lo f thatdei e|>-
vertisement
jingle begins
tlvely thin payment book.
"N eveI borrow money need
It was in the m id -1800'a that
le .sly,” Americans ire none
Artemus Ward cynically ob
(hales:, exhui ted Irorn every
served, " L e t us all be happy
quartet and in countless sug . ami live within our means,
gestive ways to purchase
even if we have to borrow the
goals ami servr as they do not
money to do it w ith.” I lie line
need ami, what is more, cannot
isn't as tunny as it used lobe.
afford.
I o pai aphrase I wain, we are
" A ll the modern inconveni
individually ami collectively
ernes,” M ark twain ■ ailed
fast rising from affluenceto
them. I wain might have told
poverty. No nation ever su, -
us (hat self- reliance and Imle-
cessfully spent its way out of
pendence, erode. I in pa i t by the
debt. L'ew men have, ami at
very technology which made
that not legally.
I lie J ib s e rv e r's o ffic ia l position is expressed only In Its I
Usher's Column ( I he observation Post) and tlie E ditor'sD esk.
Any othei m aterial throughout the paper is the opinion ol the in
dividual w rite i or subm itter and does not necessai lly reflect
the opinion ot the Observer.
Appreciation
able men could lake such a
Dear Rev. Henderson:
course. Hut tlie Republican
Appreciated
tlie obituary
Party has apparently deckled
notice of Rev. E.L.Jackson.
to make a direct political at
I was the fir s t person to g reel
tack on tlie larm workers'
the Jackson’ s after they a r
movement.
Farm workers
rived In Portland. We have had
cannot take this lying down.
a wonderful friendship through
I lie boycott is breath and life
the years.
fo r our union. We must fight
Also I wish to commend you
back.
on tire per sonal testimony of
We are again taking our
Mary Ruth Hooker. She ap
cause to the Aniei lean people.
pears to be a lovely young
We ask you to jurlge our strug
lady.
gle, to test our commitment to
I enjoy the Observer.
non-violence, ami to conskler
Sincerely,
the gross injustice of this Re
Evelyn M . C ollins
publican move against farm
C h iistla n Community Cen
w o r k e r s . We ask all our
te r
fi lends to communicate with
128 N J i. Russell
Senate i b cl.: it J. Dole, C han-
Portland, Dregon 97212
man of tlie KepublicanNatlon-
al Committee, 310 F irs t St.
S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. Dear E ditor:
Urge him to stop this Illegal
attack by the Republican-dom
We wish to express our sin
inated NLRB. We need your cere thanks to the edltoi of the
help urgently.
Dbsei ver for the space given
us foi tlie obituary ot the late
Pastor Edgar L . Jackson.
Viva la Causa,
We would also like tothank
Cesar E. Chavez.
out many fi lends, members
ami organizations who have
shared th e ir love ami concern
for us in out bereavement, and
fo r tlie beautiful f lo w e r s ,
c a rts , telegrams, gifts ami
other set vices given dur ing
tire P astor's illness ami pass
ing.
Wotds
decjiest
of you.
'
cannot express out
appreciation to each
...
Sincerely,
P atricia Jackson
and fam ily
The
Observer
welcomes
comments
from its
readers